Traffic Light Games for Kids

Traffic light procedures and basic traffic safety rules are essential for children to know. Many children begin walking to school in the elementary grades and need to safely cross streets alone. One of the best ways to teach children traffic safety is to let them play educational games involving traffic lights.

Teach Your Children Basic Traffic Rules

Begin teaching your child the importance of traffic safety and some basic traffic rules. Explain to the child that each colour on a traffic light instructs a driver on an action to take. Red and green lights are the simplest so start with teaching the children stop and go. When it comes to explaining the purpose of yellow lights, explain that a driver may interpret the light differently than them and that extreme caution is needed.

Finding a Traffic Light Game

Locate a traffic light game for your children. The US Government Kid's Website (see Resources) provides a simple traffic safety website with links to puzzles and games. Allow the children to read the traffic rules and tips on the website and then let them play some of the games. The New York Governor's website provides printable colouring pages available that may help children to memorise the traffic light colours.

Review What The Child Has Learned

An understanding of traffic rules will keep children safe when facing dangerous street crossings. (street of big city image by NiDerLander from Fotolia.com)

Ask your children what they have learnt, and quiz them on the basic traffic light rules. This is a good time to teach them some more advanced traffic signs, such as "Do not walk" and railroad crossing signs. Find any deficiencies in your child's traffic knowledge and go over those areas repeatedly. It helps to explain the reasoning behind different laws so the child can better understand the importance of different signs. Remember to teach children that drivers may not always follow traffic laws and that their discretion is needed in many situations.

Give Children an Official Traffic Safety Quiz

There is a useful traffic light quiz on the New York Governor's website that can test your child's traffic knowledge. Allow the children to take the quiz without helping them along the way. If a child misses any questions, explain the areas he failed at and instruct him to retake the quiz. Assessing your children's knowledge of traffic rules will ensure that they remain safe when crossing streets.